WILMINGTON — City officials agreed to pay a small portion of the construction funds for a massive road project.

At Thursday’s Wilmington City Council meeting, council passed a resolution agreeing to pay $38,886 out of the estimated $8 million cost for the upcoming Rombach Avenue project. According to Safety/Service Director Brian Shidaker, the money would be coming out of the city’s general fund.

“I knew we were going to be responsible for a portion of this, so I’m pleased with how the final estimates came in,” said Shidaker. “Not too shabby for an $8 million project.”

He reminded council that there was still the possibility of needing additional funding in the future.

Another benefit of the project, Shidaker said, is that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) would administer the whole project.

“We just sit back and inspect and watch the project happen,” he said.

The project — with funding from a combination of federal and state money — will result in the repaving of nearly three miles of Rombach Avenue and East Side Drive, construction of nearly 100 feet of new sidewalk, new traffic signals installed, and improving crosswalks throughout the corridor.

The project also includes repairs to the pavement and replacing the traffic signals. It was originally supposed to begin in 2020, but was delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The construction is set to begin on June 15.

“This summer will probably be the busiest construction season we’ve ever seen in Wilmington,” Shidaker recently told the News Journal. “There will be more infrastructure and more construction than we’ve ever had.”

The News Journal will continue to provide updates leading up to, and through completion of, the Rombach project.